Germany warns of 'Cold War 2.0' risk from rearmament

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the press on August 26 that German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a serious mistake by following US President Donald Trump's path of rearmament.

According to Reuters, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Germany is on the brink of a new cold war.

Responding to the Bild newspaper, Mr. Gabriel said that when working with the US and Russian presidents, Germany had to face neighbors who "do not believe in the power of reason, but the right of power".

“We are in Cold War 2.0,” he said. “Right in the middle of it. We are facing a new phase of nuclear weapons in the East and West.”

German Foreign Minister at a cabinet meeting in Berlin. Photo: Reuters

In response to Mr Gabriel's comments, chancellor candidate Martin Schulz criticised Ms Merkel's plans to increase military spending and said he would make the US remove nuclear weapons from Germany.

However, in a press conference on August 23, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would not automatically side with the US in the event of a military conflict between the US and North Korea. "I do not see a military solution to the North Korea problem. I think that would be wrong."

Germany and other NATO members pledged to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP before President Trump was elected. Germany has failed to meet that target, and only a few NATO countries have succeeded.

With a national election due in a month, Gabriel’s Social Democrats (SPD) are trying to distinguish themselves after four years of coalition with Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) on a campaign against social inequality that proved ineffective with voters./.

According to VTC